Horrific South Seattle car crash: dark, rainy conditions cited

A 23-year-old man is lucky to be alive after the front-end of the Cadillac he was driving was sheared off in a “horrific” car accident in South Seattle.

The car accident occurred in the 7300 block of Airport Way in South Seattle about 9:40 p.m when the man lost control of his vehicle and stuck a power pole and a tree.

The injured man was found lying outside of his vehicle when aid cars arrived and he was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

While a traffic accident investigation is being conducted, it’s hard to speculate on the causes of the car accident. However, the Seattle P-I cited dark and rainy conditions.

For all of us that live in Western Washington, we all know that rain is often heavy and that it is especially difficult to drive in heavy rain during darkness. When driving in rain, it is important to slow down and keep the following safety tips in mind.

Safety tips for driving in rain

When you are driving in heavy rain, visibility is decreased and hindered, so the following tips can help you avoid an accident.

Check your tires for tread and for proper inflation to avoid getting into a hydroplaning situation.

Avoid flooded roads and intersections. You never know when a flooded road can cause your vehicle to stall or when a flash flood could carry your vehicle away.

Check your brakes to make sure they are not saturated after driving through a puddle by braking lightly.

Slow down. Stopping distances are longer in the rain.

Turn gently. Turn gently on curves as your stopping and on highway on/off ramps as stopping distances are longer in the rain.

Don’t follow too closely so you can react if a car brakes suddenly.

Use your low beams as high beams as rain can create a glare.

Use your turn signal to let other drivers know of your intentions.

Pull over and quit driving when rain is so heavy that you cannot drive safely. Try to pull completely off the road and use your emergency blinkers.